On A Dreary Night, made for 2-6 players,
is a fun romp into originality. The author
has literally thrown convention out the
window and went with a very eclectic design,
which opts for super gameplay and neato
textures. Sure, it has its flaws..but you'll
forget about them when you realize how much
fun you're having.
At first glance one might think this map
is nothing more than a bunch of brushes
thrown together. Standing on the ground
floor looking up it's just a mottled mess.
However, ascend those various ramps (between
getting fragged, btw) and you'll notice
the author's decision to make this a vertical
map was a good one. The various peep holes
and sniper points you have all throughout
this map make for a ton of no-see frags.
Running, grabbing health...BOOM, you're
dead. Grab the railgun, see someone way
up high, get a bead, BOOM...they're dead.
It's great fun. The author has also used
some original textures, so the entire map
has a gritty, back-alley feel. Very little
colored lighting is used, but what is used
gives the map an eerie sense. No, the architecture
isn't perfect. There's a wedge brush used
in on place that should have been a standard
ramp, and some textures, such as the technological
ones blended with brick, don't quite match
up. But, once again, it all takes a back
seat to the fun and break-neck gameplay.
At first, I wasn't too keen on the item
placement. The railgun seemed to be the
weapon to throw the balance off. However,
there's more than one, which helps even
the odds. If you happen to grab one, find
a good place and start sniping. What's that
you say? Okay, well, yes, I am condoning
camping. Here's why: you won't live long
running around, and you won't live long
camping either. The first person you pick
off from long-distance with that slug-thrower
and you're had. That shouldn't stop you
from finding a good niche and getting at
least one free frag. The shotgun, Uzi and
RL make their appearance. However, with
the vertical nature of the map and openness,
the railgun is the only way to go.
The highest r_speeds I saw here are in
the low 600's. Completely acceptable. Everyone
should have an easy time running this map.
Final Verdict? I give this map a whole-hearted
4. Some texture use and architecture is
questionable, but you'll find that this
map has so much gameplay potential you'll
let those errors fall by the wayside and
you'll just have fun. A plyer loadout of
two is seek and destroy. Six makes for gibs,
gibs, and more gibs. Get it. Enjoy it.
Score: 4/5 |